Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 173

August, 1930 ]
THE CULTURE OF MEDIEVAL INDIA
159
THE CULTURE OF MEDIEVAL INDIA AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE
AJANTA FRESCOES.*
BY K. DE B. CODRINGTON. It is customary to speak of Indian “culture,” but it must be confessed that in the present state of Indian studies the phrase is almost meaningless. A culture must not only be represented by a considerable corpus of objects of daily life, but also be defined chronologically and geographically. The comparative study of the results of excavation in India has not yet been attempted, nor indeed have detailed illustrated lists of finds been published; this is especially true of pottery. Without these basic facts any talk of cultures must be exceedingly vague. The problem is further complicated by the loose dynastic chronology customarily used by Indian historians, and by a complete disregard of the geographical problems of distribution.
With this state of affairs in mind, it seems worth while to attempt an analysis of the culture so vividly represented on the frescoed walls of the medieval Ajanta caves. The style of the work, although mannered and often calligraphic in its delight in the sweep of line, is built up upon minute observation of life. The rendering of fruit and flowers vouches for the accuracy of the vision, and there is no reason to doubt that the textiles, arms and accoutrements of the frescoes rendered with such loving attention to the least detail, are faithful witnesses to vanished originals. The use to which the frescoes are put at Ajanta emphasize their trustworthiness, for these Jataka soenes are scenes of everyday life displayed in the spirit of ancient Buddhism, untouched by medieval iconography, except in the single case of the person of the Buddha. With regard to the Ajanta Buddhas and Bodhisattvas the iconographical tradition must be confessed. These piled-up head-dresses and jewelled necklaces never existed outside the tradition. For this reason jewellery has not been discussed in this paper.
With regard to the date of the frescoes, it is now generally agreed that the medieval caves were excavated at the end of the fifth and beginning of the sixth century A.D. Lady Herringham has stressed the large number of styles of painting visible at Ajanta, but she exaggerates. Actually four or, at the most, five sequent styles can be discerned, apart from minor variations suggestive of individual artists. None of them are later than the frescoes in the Kailasa and the Jain caves at Ellora. By comparison with remains of frescoes at Badami and Kanheri there is reason to believe that the bulk of the work closely followed the cutting of the caves. The work is mostly of the sixth century, perhaps partly of the seventh century, not later.
With regard to the range of this culture, the dynastic geography of the period provides an indication. Ajanta owes its medieval revival to the existence of the Vakataka dynasty, who were allies of, and intermarried with, the Guptas. The Hun invasion at the end of the fifth century must have greatly disorganized the economy of these two large and prosperous king. doms. This disorganization of the north continued until the rise of Harsa of Kanauj in the beginning of the seventh century. Meanwhile the centre of political activity in India shifted southwards and the main events of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries were the resultant of the repeated conflicts of the Chalukyas of the Deccan and the Pallavas of the south. Harga himself was forced to admit the power of the Chalukyas south of the Narbad& under Pulikesin II, whom he had the temerity to attack. The rise of the Rastrakūtas in the Western Deccan seems to have continued Chålukyan-Pallava contacts; at any rate the long series of caves at Ellora, which date from circa 500 A.D. to the ninth century, clearly show direct southern influence. No cave at Ajanta is later than the first half of the sixth century. The Ajanta ghất is the gateway of the north. Ajanta stands to the northward of the frontier of the Deccan. While the rich and more or less stable political combinations of the south endowed Ellora with temples that clearly show southern influence, Ajanta received no further endowments.
• Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Orientalists, Oxford, 1928.